Modern Furniture Classics: Since 1945

Containing some of the most spectacular color photographs of furniture ever published, this stunning book presents a complete visual history of furniture design since the end of the Second World War. It begins in 1945 with such achievements as the highly sculptural plywood chairs of Charles and Ray Eames, who were among the first to use organic shapes derived from the natural world. Revolutionary 1950s designs, including Harry Bertoia's wire Diamond chairs—"studies in space, form and metal"—and Eero Saarinen's futuristic Pedestal Group, were followed in the late 1950s by the rise of consumerism—and the eccentricities of kitsch—which in turn gave way in the 1960s to the explosion of Pop. The following decades were equally rich, with the development of Counter Design by Ettore Sottsass, the factory lights and scaffolding supports of High-Tech, the Craft Revival, Art Furniture, Ergonomic styling, and much else, with each trend continuing to show intriguing national and regional differences. Concluding with the best of current design, this fascinating survey has been since its first publication the standard work on the furniture of the entire period. Every piece included is able to stand for all time as a classic work of design. Illustrated with over 140 color reproductions, all accompanied by detailed descriptions, the whole is completed by a comprehensive reference section, providing detailed designer biographies, a bibliography, a list of retail outlets and museums, and advice on collecting. 347 illustrations, 144 in full color